An update has emerged on Newcastle United and their pursuit of Arsenal's William Saliba heading into the summer transfer window...

What's the talk?

French journalist Fabrice Hawkins has claimed that PIF are eyeing up a deal for the £27m defender, whilst Marseille - where he spent the 2021/22 campaign on loan - are also attempting to snap him up.

Hawkins tweeted (translated from French): "Although Arsenal want to keep William #Saliba , Newcastle, Napoli and Atlético Madrid are interested. Pablo Longoria and Jorge Sampaoli have not given up on the idea of bringing him back." 

Eddie Howe's own Raphael Varane

The Magpies manager can land his own version of the Manchester United enforcer by securing a deal for Saliba in the coming weeks and months.

Former Liverpool winger Bernard Diomede previously claimed that the defender has "cold blood", while the 21-year-old's former coach Fabio Frasconi once claimed: "William Saliba will go far, very far. He reminds me of Raphaël Varane".

This comment from Frasconi highlights the Frenchman's potential and suggests that he can be Newcastle's answer to his compatriot in the English top flight, one year after the 2018 World Cup winner made his switch to Old Trafford.

In the Premier League this season, the Red Devils defender averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.97 as he won 71% of his duels and made 2.1 tackles and interceptions per game.

The former Real Madrid centre-back also completed 88% of his attempted passes as he showcased his ability in possession. He is reliable on the ball and strong in his individual battles, demonstrating that he can excel at both sides of his game.

Meanwhile, Saliba averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.06 in Ligue 1. The 21-year-old won 64% of his duels and made 2.8 tackles and interceptions per game, whilst completing an eye-catching 93% of his passes.

These statistics show that both centre-backs are quite similar in their actions, defensively and in possession, and that is why the Arsenal tank could be Howe's own Varane at St James' Park. He is a quality centre-back with the potential to improve even further, and PIF must now work hard to get a deal over the line.

At the age of 21, Saliba has plenty of time left to hone his skills and develop into a top-quality player at Premier League level. He has already shown that he can produce excellent performances on a consistent basis in Ligue 1, and it is now down to him to prove that he can do the same in England...

AND in other news, PIF could sign Newcastle's answer to Haaland in "sensational" £60m "monster"...